Automatically-closing can



(No Model.) I

G. A. POOLE.

AUTOMATIGALLYULOSING CAN.

No. 387,959. Patented Aug. 14, 1888..

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GEORGE A. POOLE, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

AUTO MATICA LLY-CLOSING CAN.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 387,959, dated Aug'us'.14, 1888.

Application filed May 21, 1888. Serial No. 274,481. (No model.)

To aZZ whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, GEORGE A. PooLE, a citizen of the United States,residing at Ohicago, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois, haveinvented certain new and useful Improvements in Aulomatically-OlosingCans, Bottles, the, which are fully set forth in the followingspecification, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, forminga part hereof, and in which- Figure 1 represents myautomatically-closing can, partly in perspective, the upper part of thecan being cut by a central vertical plane, and the near part of the canso cut broken away and the cork and its attached parts shown in positionin full outline when the can is closed and in dotted lines when open.Fig. 2 shows apart of the neck of the can and a part of the apparatuswhich closes the can, constructed in a modified form. Fig. 3 shows amodification of my improved bottle stopper, the stem (1 being a straightbar upon which are seen red three equidistant triangular wings, of whichthe outer edges, f, perform the same function as the outer edge of theparty shown in Figs. 1 and 2.

Like letters of reference refer to like parts.

The object of my invention is to constructa can or cans, bottles, 8*particularly such as are used by printers forbenzine-cans and likeinflammable and dangerous or valuable liquids, which shall beselfclosing when not in use, as well as seltopening when in use; and toattain said ends I construct my said improved vessels substantially asfollows, namely:

Through the screw-cap a or an ordinary cork fitting into the mouth ofthe can or hott le I pass or'attaoh a tightly-fitting tube, 1),terminating at or near the lower end of the cork, or at the inside ofthe top of the cap when made of sheet metal, projecting upward farenough to give a good seat to the valve or cork. Into the upper end ofsaid tube is placed a comically-shaped stopper or plug, of which thetapering or inner end may be more or less sharply pointed than hereshown, as may be found best suited to the material eontainedin the cans,and at the same time form the best valve seat or closure, and to theapex of said cork is attached a stem of wire, d,which passes down intothe can a short distance, and at its lower end has attached to it aweight, 6. In order to prevent said weight 0 from closing the tube 12when the can is inverted, said wire d is bent at the pointsf and f intoobtuse angles lying on opposite sides of said wire and in about the sameplane, having a straight part, f, between them, of which thelower endwill rest on and extend beyond the edge of the tube b when the valve isopen. inclination formed between said part f and the part d above itshould be in about the proportion as here shown, or great enough tocause the part f to slide down over the lower edge of the tube 2) whenthe can is held in a horizontal position or thrown on its side, andthereby close the cork c by means of the attached weight 6. The secondor lower angle, f, is, however, not necessary,as the seetionf maycontinue on straight to the weight 6 with advantage if it canconveniently be passed into the can or bottle and have room to operatefreely, because the farther to one side of the center of the cork theweight 6 can be placed the quicker it will cause the cork to turn andthe upper side of the inclined section f to fall upon the end of thetube 6 and slide down on it until the cork c is drawn in and fullycloses the aperture. No matter in what position the weight 6 may be whenthe can isturned upon its side the weight 6 willalways, through gravity,find its lowest possible position instantly and cause the can to close,as above stated Where, for reasons as above stated, the part f 2 cannotbe made long enough in proportion to the diameter of the tube b toprevent its entering it, and thereby causing the apparatus to becomeinoperative by the weight 0 closing the tube,a ring, f",orsimilar devicemay be formed out of the stem (1 or attached to it or the weight e, forthe purpose of leaving a free vent, and so as to keep the part f inoperative position The angle of with the lower end of the tube 2) at alltimes,

or,when found more practical,the stern d may be straight to the weightand provided with several short parts, f, secured around it.

To operate this device it is only necessary to turn thevessel part1 yorwholly upside down, when the weight e will cause the cork c to open, andto close the can, it is only necessary to hold it in a horizontalposition, when it will close automatically, and it will always close inthe can, a tube, in combination with a cork and a weight within the can,arranged eccentrically to the axis of the tube, and connected to thecork by a rod having an inclined part, f, to 15 operate upon the end ofthe tube, substantially as specified.

GEORGE A. POOLE.

Vitnesses:

\VM. ZIMMERMAN, G. VOGEL.

